Marshdonia
The Realm of Marshdonia (commonly known as Marshdonia) is a growing, somewhat developed, and established nation on 1 August 2007 to the northwest of mainland Europe. It it is made up of a large area of historical Great Britan, as well as the Isle of Wight. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with James I as head of state, although a parliament does sit (Marshdonian Assembly), comprising three constituent boroughs: the Borough of Hanslope, the Borough of Nottingham and the Borough of Surrey. James I holds the position of Jack of Spades at the Deck of Cards, Marshdonia's third alliance. History James I established Hanslope as a sovereign nation on 1 August 2007 and under-pressure Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was forced to grant this sovereignty. As James I's Marshdonia established itself, it reached further into England and James I now controls most of what was England and a large part of what was Wales. A foreign ministry was built with a harbour (the main harbour is now in the Borough of Surrey) and parliamentary buildings in Hanslope soon after Marshdonia was established. Then war struck the country. Marshdonia was engaged in the Unjust War at WAPA and played a key role in the winning of the initial battle against GDA. However, when MCXA join GDA, WAPA crumbled and Marshdonia hit an all-time low, with depression spreading throughout the country. Anarchy ensued, with many calling for a coup of the monarchy and a return to the United Kingdom. The coup failed and eventually Marshdonia returned to its former glory and spread its influence further and further, as far as Wales and the Isle of Wight. Three boroughs were establised to recognise each's individual cultural and social situations: the Borough of Hanslope, the Borough of Nottingham and the Borough of Surrey. Government and Politics Marshdonia is a monarchy with James I, King of the Realm of Marshdonia and Territories, as head of state. This title is often shortened to 'King of Marshdonia'. Marshdonia has a unicameral parliament government, which is based in Hanslope, in the Borough of Hanslope. Marshdonia's constitution is set out on the first day of each month by the king, with any changes taking immediate effect. This 'Royal Constitution' overrules all parlimentary bills and case law. Parliamentary bills take priority over case law. No Marshdonian Assembly can pass laws that future Parliaments cannot change. There is no leader of the Marshdonian Assembly. Each borough's population elects eleven representatives (one for each county), in total there 33 MMAs (Members of the Marshdonian Assembly). In theory, each MMA is independent and equal - each MMA may bring up issues for discussion at the monthly Assembly Discussion - taking place on the last three days of each month. For bills to be passed, they require, seventeen votes, including at least five from each borough. All bills are subject to Royal Assent. The king has the power to remove an MMA from office, though this has never occurred. Elections for the Marshdonian Assembly are held on the fourth to last day of every month, with office being taken on the second day of the next month. Adminstrative Subdivisions The capital of Marshdonia is Hanslope, which has the largest population of any city. There are three cities: Hanslope, Redhill and Nottingham. Marshdonia is split into three boroughs: the Borough of Hanslope, the Borough of Surrey and the Borough of Nottingham. Each borough is split into eleven counties. Redhill, the capital of the Borough of Surrey, is home to Marshdonia's main harbour, exporting huge amounts of coal and cattle every day and importing large amounts of other resources required to keep the nation in good health. The Borough of Surrey is Marshdonia's poorest area and all five of Marshdonia's Royal Factories are based in the borough, providing the majority of jobs. The Borough of Hanslope is largely a cattle farming area and this is the trade in which the majority work. This contrasts with the northern Borough of Nottingham, which specialises in coal mining. There are five Royal Banks of Marshdonia, each with the power to print Royal Shillings. Nottingham and Redhill each have one such bank, and the Borough of Hanslope has three. Law The highest court in the kingdom for all criminal and civil cases in Marshdonia is the Royal Supreme Court of Marshdonia. The second highest court for criminal cases is the Crown Court and for civil cases the Court of Justice. The third and final tier of courts are the County Courts, which deal with minor offences in both civil and criminal cases. The Royal Police Headquarters, opened on 12 January 2008 in Hanslope, which regulates the Royal Police Force and is home to the largest prison in the country is the principle body of law enforcement in the country. It is responsible for defending the actions of the king and the government in the official affairs. A second Police Headquarters was opened in Nottingham on 16 January 2008 to recognise its especially high crime rates. Five days later, a third HQ was inaugurated in South Redhill - plans are afoot for two more Royal Police Headquarters to spread the workload and travelling costs. Foreign Relations History Since its liberation, Marshdonia has always fought for sovereignty. However, at the same time it recognises the need for protection and has almost always been part of a multi-national alliance. Its current alliance is the Deck of Cards. Its foreign ministry is based in Hanslope, but its decisions are subject to judicial, parliamentary and royal review. It is a mostly neutral country when it comes to foreign affairs, usually only attacking other nations if attacked first. We Are Perth Army Marshdonia's king, James I, took the decision to join WAPA on 2 August 2007, one day after the country itself was born. Marshdonia's Member Number was 0152 and full membership was held for three months and four days. On 6 August 2007, WAPA and Marshdonia laid out their commitment to each other, with James I becoming Editor of WAPA's first ever newsletter - The Blueheaven. He published the newsletter every Saturday, usually before 12:00 Game Time. James I published four of the first five newsletters. James I resigned from the post on 15 September 2007, having gained a good reputation for writing in the pursuit of greater challenges. In the Unjust War, Marshdonia fought bravely with WAPA against GDA and MCXA from 12 September 2007. Before MCXA joined GDA in the battle, WAPA despite their lower numbers were on the verge of forcing GDA into surrender. NPO also later joined the battle against WAPA and their close allies Scotland Forever. WAPA had previously left BLEU to honour its MDAP with \m/. \m/, however, failed to help WAPA in the war, disbanded, and consequently WAPA withdrew from the war on 20 September 2007. 12 October 2007 marked a proud day for the Marshdonian natives with their king taking up the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs at WAPA, gaining 60% of the vote in a 7-horse race. He withdrew from the running for the Firm elections, despite being nominated. James I implemented a new diplomat system at the alliance in his time at the Foreign Affairs office, assigning colours to diplomats. He viewed Arkangel09 as his finest diplomat, a ruler who has since left WAPA and who has signed up to the Deck of Cards, Marshdonia's current alliance. 6 November 2007 was the day that an era came to a close in Marshdonia. King James I resigned from his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs, left WAPA and moved to the Black Team, with the intention of entering the Order of the Black Rose's hallowed Chamber of Supplication. James I ordered that the country should enter peace mode for the first time in its history to protect itself from attacks. Order of the Black Rose James I briefly became a supplicant to the Order of the Black Rose having left WAPA. However, 6 days into the 14-day questioning period, he withdrew his supplication and changed back to the White Team. James I had grown frustrated at the lack of questioning occurring and found the line of questioning to run contrary to expected. However, the main reason for his withdrawal was the prospect of joining several ex-WAPA allies at the newly-formed Deck of Cards - Atropine, Death Eater, mkoricic and smackpixi were just four of those. Deck of Cards 17 November 2007 saw Marshdonia become one of the founder members of the Deck of Cards, an innovative new alliance, which in its first month grew to a total strength of in excess of 300,000. James I immediately took on the role of Jack of Spades, a return to his first role at WAPA. The job entailed making public announcements on DoC's behalf and publishing the weekly newsletter, The DoCument. Other achievements attributed to James I at Deck of Cards are the commissioning of Deck of Cards' flag and the effective founding of the alliance, along with several other members. Economy Marshdonia has an increasingly strong economy. Experts rate as 'very strong'. Hanslope is the major centre for international trade. With the international restrictions on trade, Hanslope's foreign ministry is the major decision-maker on international trade. Current trades are displayed in the infobar. Redhill, the capital of the Borough of Surrey, is home to Marshdonia's main harbour, exporting huge amounts of coal and cattle every day and importing large amounts of other resources required to keep the nation in good health. The Borough of Surrey is Marshdonia's poorest area and all five of Marshdonia's Royal Factories are based in the borough, providing the majority of jobs. The Borough of Hanslope is largely a cattle farming area and this is the trade in which the majority work. This contrasts with the northern Borough of Nottingham, which specialises in coal mining. Some other large industries are in steel-making, beer produciton and the fast food and construction indutries. Private salary income tax in Marshdonia is exceptionally high and is the source of much debate in the country. On 24 January 2008, the government announced a proposal for the construction of five Labour Camps throughout Marshdonia to lower the unemployment rate by providing private sector jobs. The first of these camps was built in Cardiff. Government involvement throughout the economy is exercised by the Treasurer who publishes the Royal Accounts, announcing where the country's taxes will be spent for the following month. The Treasurer is not elected, but chosen by the king. There is some concern amongst anti-Royalists that the reason for this is to ensure the monarch is seen in a good light. Currency The currency of Marshdonia is the royal shilling, represented by the letter s. There are five Royal Banks of Marshdonia, each with the power to print royal shillings. Nottingham and Redhill each have one such bank, and the Borough of Hanslope has three. Healthcare Marshdonia spent a considerable amount of time without any form of state-funded healthcare. All healthcare had to be personally financed through insurance or one-off payments for appointments or operations. However, on 11 January 2008, King James I declared open the Royal Healthcare Service (RHS). The Department of Health regulates the RHS. Marshdonia has five royally sanctioned clinics and one royally sanctioned hospital. These establishments provided for the vast majority of the public's medical needs. Hanslope was home to the first two clinics which were opened on 11 January 2008 to follow up the announcement of the establishment of the RHS. On 12 January 2008, two clinics were opened in the Borough of Surrey and one clinic in Nottingham. Marshdonia's royally sanctioned hospital, the King's Medical Centre (KMC) was also opened on 12 January 2008. It is attached to Nottingham University and provides facilities for those who study Medicine. Education Marshdonia's official literacy rate is shown in the infobar in the top right of this page. Education is compulsory and free from the ages of four to fourteen (years 1 to 9). This is known as First School. All three boroughs have schools, catering for ages between four and eighteen years old - the most famous of which is the Borough of Hanslope's Royal School of Hanslope, based in the nearby town of Buckingham. Nottingham Royal Academy is Marshdonia's newest school and boasts its best facilities. The Borough of Surrey is home to Redhill School. On 29 December 2007, a fourth school was opened in the Borough of Nottingham to suit those more likely to study at Nottingham River University - Nottingham River School. 11 January 2008 saw Marshdonia establish a fifth school. Built Marshdonia's capital itself, Hanslope Full School gains more respect as it grows. No more schools are expected to be established. At First School, each child gains a sole qualification, pass or fail, in Mathematics, English, French, Science, Culture and Humanities. A fail can be overridden by a pass in a subsequent academic year, at which Second School may be attended. Very few students pass their First School Finals and opt not to go to Second School. Second School normally provides for children from the ages of 14 to 18 (years A to D). Students are given one mark in each subject, this time ranging from 1 (excellent) to 8 (poor) - 6 is considered a pass. Students must study English and Mathematics, along with four other subjects - each weighted equally. Exams may be re-taken on two occasions. At university, a wide range of subjects can be studied, but all last three years, unless you work for a Diploma, which is an additional two years. It is rare that a Second School student would gain entry to university without gaining a Second School 3 in each of his subjects. Students obtain either a Degree (marked Merit, Pass or Fail) or a Diploma, which is marked in the same way. The Borough of Nottingham is renowned for its academic excellence - it is home to Marshdonia's only universities: Nottingham University was established on 26 December 2007 and specialises in traditional more academic subjects, such as Law and Mathematics. It is also home to KMC (King's Medical Centre), the country's only royally sanctioned hospital, which is home to the university's Medicine students. On 29 December 2007, a rival university was set up in the same city, Nottingham River University. This university tends to cater for vocational courses, such as Plumbing, but also the Arts. Football Football is the national sport of Marshdonia. Despite this, worldwide it is not known for its high level of football. This is largely thought to be due to the fact that non-Marshdonian footballers are refused permission to play in the League of Marshdonia and that no Marshdonian football team has ever played abroad, resulting in a lack of exposure to different ideas and tactics in the game. The Marshdonian Football Association The Marshdonian Football Association runs a monthly football league, The League of Marshdonia. The format is known to change, but it remains in the form of a league, each side playing all others twice, home and away. There is no national football side representing Marshdonia. The League of Marshdonia There are six participating teams - Beeston Athletic, Castlethorpe, Hanslope Hornets, Lenton United, Redhill Town, Reigate Rovers. The league started in August, with (as of the end of the December 2007 season) Hanslope winning the title on all 5 occasions. Redhill Town and Castlethorpe have each competed 5 times, Reigate Rovers 3 times and Beeston Athletic once. Lenton United will be new participants in January 2007. League rules dictate that all stadia must be all-seater and that all players must have Marshdonian citizenship. Hanslope Hornets play at The Rec, which has a capacity of 32,000, the largest stadium. They play in amber and black stripes with black shorts and hooped socks. Their away kit is blue and black stripes. Their 5 titles are represented on their shirt by a gold star. It is considered Marshdonia's largest and richest club and is much hated by the other five sides' supporters. Redhill Town, The Soils, who share 26,309 all-seater Selhurst Park with Reigate, play in red and white hoops with an away kit of all brown. On the left sleeve of their shirts is a crown representing its five months of existence. Their passionate home support is considered the league's finest. Castlethorpe, play in white shirts, white shorts and black socks. Their home ground, Sixfields Stadium, holds 7,653, by far the smallest stadium. Their away kit is all brown. Having run Hanslope close in the first two editions of The League of Marshdonia, Castlethorpe have gone on to win just 3 games in the subsequent 3 months. Reigate Rovers, who play in all-blue at the shared stadium in the Borough of Surrey of Selhurst Park (26,309), are famous for never having won an away game since their inception in October 2007. Beeston Athletic have competed just once and have yet to win a game. They have, however, managed creditable draws against the rest of the league's teams. They are renowned for their stifling style of play, which promotes physical strength over fast-paced passing football. Their nickname, The Magpies, is due to their black and white quartered home kit design. They play at Meadow Lane, which holds 19,588. Lenton United are the League of Marshdonia's newest team. They play in red with black shorts and are yet to compete in the League of Marshdonia. They will move into the City Ground which, currently undergoing refurbishments, will hold 30,602 people. Marshdonian Teams Abroad On 26 December 2007, the MFA's President Eric Butler made the decision to ask for permission on whether or not Marshdonian club sides could be allowed to play against teams from other nations. James I granted this permission. On the same day, the Transvaal Football Union and the Marshdonian Football Association agreed the Transvaal-Marshdonia Super Cup would take place in Pretoria of Transvaal on 7 January 2008. In a cagey match, Hanslope Hornets won Marshdonia's first ever international match against Johannesburg on penalties after a 0-0 draw after extra time. James I made the match official with his announcment on 28 December 2007: "With time comes progress, and the time has come for Marshdonia to make progress and send a strong representative to field a team abroad - the Transvaal-Marshdonia Super Cup. If this year's league champions had not been of the calibre that they are, they would not have been allowed entry to this competition. The level of Transvaal football is well-established, so that we should pit our wits against such strong opposition can only help us to develop in the future. ''"Marshdonia's representative in this one-off competition will be five-time champions Hanslope Hornets. The team will travel out to Transvaal next week and we wish the best of luck. ''"The importance of Marshdonia's footballing heritage is in no way undermined by this move. The League of Marshdonia rule that no team shall field a non-Marshdonian citizen stand. No non-Marshdonian citizen shall play in the Transvaal Marshdonia Super Cup for the Marshdonian representative side. We do not wish to dilute our fantastic league. On the question of whether Marshdonia will ever field a national football team, there are preliminary discussions on-going internally to introduce a side into the international arena." In a wider sense, this step was taken to bring about the 'the internationalisation, commercialisation and ultimately improvement' of the Marshdonian game, which has seemingly become dull and repetitive as Hanslope Hornets continue to dominate the national game. The counter-argument put forward has been that the entry of only Hanslope Hornets will, while improving their level of football, widen the gap at the top of the league. Also, there are perceived to be other ways to improve the general quality of football by, for example, relaxing the 'xenophobic' rules regarding Marshdonian citizenship. On 11 January 2008, it was announced that Hanslope Hornets would take part in a second international competition, the Liga Mundo, beginning on 21 January 2008. Stadia Marshdonia has five stadia. The Borough of Hanslope and the Borough of Nottingham each have two stadia, while the Borough of Surrey has just one, Selhurst Park, which holds 26,309. The Rec in Denbigh in the Borough of Hanslope is Marshdonia's largest stadium, holding 32,000. Sixfields Stadium holds 7,653 fans, it is home to Castlethorpe. Nottingham is home to The City Ground (30,602) and Meadow Lane (19,588). Symbols * The flag of Marshdonia is the Royal Flag. It was created by the superimposition of the flags of the historical state of England (St George's Cross) onto a black cross. In the top-left quarter is the universal symbol of atheism, the official religion of Marshdonia. * The national anthem is, oddly, sung in Marshdonia's second language French. Its title Pour le Marshdonie, pour le Roi translate as For Marshdonia, for the King. * The national animal of Marshdonia is the cow. All cattle are officially owned by the king, although this rule is never enforced in practice. Two cattle are etched on all coins in Marshdonia. * Many of Marshdonia's national symbols are adorned with a beech tree, which represents the Great Forest of the Borough of Hanslope, that covers a huge area fifty miles south of the country's capital, Hanslope. * The Marshdonian motto is in hoc signo vinces, meaning "in this sign you will conquer".